i'm still days out till my 1st fill and this bandster hell is winning! my hunger is back and with a vengeance. i don't even want to get on the scale because i'm scared of seeing how much of the weight i lost i've gained back i'm trying so hard to make good choices and to keep to my 1 cup servings but it's not enough!!! the good choices isn't so hard. i know i need to stay away from the bad and that's more mental than anything but the servings is a hunger thing....i think. all i know is that after a 1 cup serving meal i'm still hunger and looking around at everyone else's plate like i could eat theirs too!

ugh, how does one survive this with their sanity and confidence that this will work in the long run??? because right now i'm starting to question everything!

drink lots of water. I know that sounds silly but, it works!!

be sure to keep protein grams as high as you can, 60 or more is

advisable.

I feel your pain! I feel the same way. I am still 2 weeks away from a fill due to scheduling conflicts and I am a wreck! Last night was bad... I had to walk away from the table b/c I just wanted to eat more! I am so hungry! I honestly do usually eat more than a cup a serving right now, I am just using better choices. I dont go for seconds and I dont fill my plate up either. I know I am better than before, but its horrible!

Good luck to you

Hang in there! It will get better. I have been struggling to not gain, as well. I lost most of my weight on the pre-op diet, too. I have had 2 fills now and it is getting a little better each time.

Unfortunately the 1st fill may not make this problem go away. It usually takes more then one fill to get restriction so what your left with is figuring out how to use your protein and water to satisfy you. One thing I do is keep busy, and make sure your meals are high protein first.

I'm not sane, that helps, LOL. No, seriously, do try to increase the Protein. Also do things to distract yourself- go for a walk, paint your nails so you can't snack.

Also, maybe don't go by cups? Go by weight- weigh out 3 oz protein and some veg. Limit carbs, but my grocery store has a low carb Pasta I do sometimes add. Are you counting calories? I try to stay between 1000-1200 calories with an occasional day in the 1500-1700 range just to keep my body wondering what I'm doing.

Good luck, this will pass!!!

Nicki

Honestly, I think I survived bandster hell not one day at a time but one minute at a time. It sucked, there is no two ways about it. My heart goes out to you because I know you're trying and I know it's extremely hard.

Protein does help keep you full longer, so definitely focus on protein. I knew before I had restriction I'd never make it 4-5 hours between meals, especially only eating a cup of food per meal, so I spread my food out. I have always counted my calories so I made sure to stay within the daily limit despite eating mini meals all day. Here's an example:

Breakfast- Protein shake

2 hours later- 1/4 cup low fat cottage cheese

Lunch- 4oz of tuna mixed with a wedge of light Laughing Cow Cheese, 1/2 cup tossed salad with fat free ranch dressing

2 hours later- sugar free pudding

Dinner- 4oz of pork chops, 1/4 cup mashed potatoes, 1/4 cup green Beans

2 hours later- Low fat wheat thins (8 of them) with a wedge of light Laughing Cow Cheese spread on them

This is just an example of how I ate during bandster hell. Not eating between meals simply wasn't realistic for me at all so I spread my calories throughout the day. For me, it got me through until I had good restriction. Now, I no longer need the Snacks and for the most part just stick to my meals.

Hang in there, you can do this!

Great advise Missy, I did this on the pre-op that was the only way I was able to lose the weight was to spread my meals through the course of the day.

I wouldn't stress about it. It may take a while to start losing but it will be worth it.

Take a deep breath and let it out. Don't panic. I agree with what some of the later posts say and that it's all about Protein. Try to make your meal atleast 50% protein then add in the other stuff. I haven't had my first fill yet but I know enough about nutrition to know that protein is your friend right now.

Are you walking/doing some type of fitness activity? I keep the following in my house right now, protein shake mix, fat free milk, cheeses (string cheese, babybel cheese wheels, cheddar, swiss, laughing cow cheese), tuna, chicken, fish, ground beef, ground turkey, lunch meats (ham or turkey), bacon, eggs, yogurt, and juices. If I want a snack, I grab a piece of cheese (I love cheese). It's a small, dense snack that's got some protein and Calcium. If you want to put it on celery, or something crunchy go for it. Apples and strawberries are my fruits right now since I'm still on soft foods. Peel an apple, slice it up, good to go.

One the nurses where I went suggested I keep sugar-free gum on hand so that if I feel like my mouth wants something but I don't want to eat then I have something to do for it.

Congrats on making better choices for food! Celebrate that victory. Someone also mentioned that after your first fill, you might still get hungry. This is normal, since every body is different there is no set amount of Fluid in the band. I was told they filled mine at surgery with 2 cc's. When you go for your fills it will be about trial-and-error at this point. To get you the right amount of restriction they aren't going to want to over fill the band so that you get sick.

I think this whole journey takes something some of us lack (myself included) and that's patience. You will succeed and you know you will succeed. Just let them know that you're hungry often right now. It will pass. Write out why you feel hungry, if you need to. Keep a food journal to help you keep on track. Whatever you need to do, aside from eating more.

Good luck!

Patty,

I just realized your surgery is tomorrow! Congratulations and we'll see you on the other side!

I am going through the same thing. I'm so hungry and my first fill is Monday. I know I probably won't get much relief from the hunger, but I'm drinking my Water. I feel like I slosh when I walk but I'm still hungry, My nutritionist said not to snack between meals, but that is a no go. I do choose healthier Snacks (atkins Protein bars, cottage cheese, laughing cow cheese, etc).

Right now, I just ate a Protein Bar 45 minutes ago...I could literally eat my desk right now....I'm drinking...

We'll get through this together. I love this board...great for support

Patty,

I just realized your surgery is tomorrow! Congratulations and we'll see you on the other side!

I am going through the same thing. I'm so hungry and my first fill is Monday. I know I probably won't get much relief from the hunger, but I'm drinking my Water. I feel like I slosh when I walk but I'm still hungry, My nutritionist said not to snack between meals, but that is a no go. I do choose healthier Snacks (atkins Protein bars, cottage cheese, laughing cow cheese, etc).

Right now, I just ate a protein bar 45 minutes ago...I could literally eat my desk right now....I'm drinking...

We'll get through this together. I love this board...great for support

Thank you Lisa!!!

i'm still days out till my 1st fill and this bandster hell is winning! my hunger is back and with a vengeance. i don't even want to get on the scale because i'm scared of seeing how much of the weight i lost i've gained back i'm trying so hard to make good choices and to keep to my 1 cup servings but it's not enough!!! the good choices isn't so hard. i know i need to stay away from the bad and that's more mental than anything but the servings is a hunger thing....i think. all i know is that after a 1 cup serving meal i'm still hunger and looking around at everyone else's plate like i could eat theirs too!

ugh, how does one survive this with their sanity and confidence that this will work in the long run??? because right now i'm starting to question everything!

I can relate. I am 5 days post op and so far have been OK with the full liquid diet. But today I have been doing more activity wise, and am feeling very hungry.

I can't do the Protein for over a week yet.

I guess it is Water to help. I sure don't want to gain back the 10 lbs. I lost on the liquid diet. It really is a bummer to feel so hungry and crave other foods that I'm not suppose to have, so soon out.

Rita

thank you so much for all your advice and encouraging words. this really is great resource and i wouldn't know what to do without it.

so what i got is....

eat mostly Protein

make good choices

snack good choices

keep busy

don't rely on the 1st fill because even that might not hep

and don't stress because this is all normal (hahahaha the "don't stress" made me laugh!)

THANKS AGAIN!!!!

I am right there with you! I am having a really hard time and I get my first fill tomorrow! Hoping it helps at least a little!!!

Eating planned meals or Snacks every 3-4 hours was/is essential for me.

You also need to start thinking about whether your hunger is always physical. After you eat one cup of solid food, are you still having hunger pangs, tummy grumbling, etc? Or is it more that you just feel unsatisfied - that you haven't eaten enough and want more? It took me a long time to get used to the idea of a small amount of food being "enough". I had to weigh/measure my food and put it on a small plate (like a salad plate) so it wouldn't look so meager.